Henry lever action rifle manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co., in November 1863. The serial number, "3434" falls within the range of the 60 Henry rifles purchased by the Ordnance Department on the commercial market on November 31, 1863 for issue to the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry Regiment. Henry rifle serial number 3433 is listed in "THE HISTORIC HENRY RIFLE" by Wiley Sword as being issued to the 3rd Regiment, U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry in 1865. There is a good chance this rifle is one of the commercial Henry rifles purchased by the Ordnance Department. Henry rifles purchased by the Ordnance Department on the commercial market had no government markings or inspection marks. This rifle has the distinctive brass "gunmetal" receiver and buttplate with 24 inch octagon barrel and integral 15-shot magazine. The barrel was originally blued, and the hammer, trigger and lever color casehardened. The stock is straight grain American walnut. The rifle has the mid-production features which include a squareback, nickel-silver, front sight blade, folding leaf rear sight with elevator bar stop screw at the top of the leaf below the center notch, a large diameter magazine follower, a milled flats in receiver follower slot, and buttplate with rounded heel. The buttplate has a hinged trap door. A sling swivel is fitted on the left side of the stock, and the left side of the barrel has a screw-fastened loop for a sling hook. Sling swivels and loops were standard on commercial production Henry rifles in this serial number range but were not usually fitted on the 800 Henry rifles manufactured for Ordnance contracts in December 1863. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the small, first style legend "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT'D. BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS CO. NEWHAVEN. CT." in two-lines ahead of the rear sight. The legend has all serrifed letters except for the final "NEWHAVEN" marking which is in block letters. The serial number "3434" is stamped on the top of the barrel between the rear sight and the receiver, on the left side of the lower receiver tang, in the upper tang inlet of the stock, on the inside of the buttplate below the lower screw hole and on the shanks of both hand fitted buttplate screws. All of the visible serial numbers match. The cap head tang screws are correctly not stamped with the rifle serial number. The Henry rifle was the most advanced firearm manufactured during the Civil War. Although the New Haven Arms Company manufactured nearly 9,500 Henry rifles between May 1862 and May 1865, the Ordnance Department purchased only 1,731 Henry rifles for issue to the Federal army. Eight hundred of these rifles were stamped with "C.G.C." inspection marks and issued to the 1st D.C. Cavalry in early 1864. Experts believe that the majority of the Henry rifles manufactured during the Civil War were privately purchased by individual Federal soldiers willing to pay for the firepower provided by a 15-shot, lever action, repeating rifle. Henry rifles were especially popular with Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky regiments. By late 1864, several Illinois regiments were armed primarily with privately purchased Henry rifles. Despite limited government purchases, the Henry rifle is a key Civil War weapon.

Fair. The rifle is in below average condition for a Civil War era Henry rifle. The barrel has a dark patina with scattered pitting. There are vice marks on both barrel flats in front of and on either side of the rear sight. The nickel-silver front sight blade has been altered to a half-moon pattern. The barrel legend and serial numbers are sharp. The brass receiver has been heavily polished and has rounded edges. The inspector markings are absent on left side of barrel and receiver. The edges of the side plate joints are generally smooth but the gap between the joints indicates the edges of the side plate and frame have been polished. The case colors on the hammer have aged to a mottled, silver-gray patina. The stock has been sanded and re-finished and is in good overall condition. Wear is limited to a few minor chips along the edges of the upper receiver tang and a leather spacer at the junction with the buttplate toe. This is a representative example of a Civil War era Henry lever action rifle that falls within the serial number range of rifles issued to the 1st D.C. Cavalry and 3rd Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.